The higher impact on the scout is more useful IMHO. I like my Strange Suspect well enough, but it still feels.......weak.

This is my Cryptic Dragon. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My scout rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. My rifle, without me, is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than the alien who is trying to kill me. I must shoot it before he shoots me. I will... My Cryptic Dragon and I know that what counts in war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, nor the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit... My rifle is exo, even as I, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its barrel. I will keep my scout rifle clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other. We will... Before The Traveler, I swear this creed. My rifle and I are the defenders of my planet. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life. So be it, until victory is the light's and there is no darkness, but peace!

Depends on the setting. I like scout rifles for PvE, but I've taken to using the Stranger's Rifle for the Crucible.

Scouts can dominate in pvp just keep a little distance and use lots of cover